MirrorrorriM
by PTL-Series
Summary: AU: The team gets assigned to cataloge a house of antiques that turn out to be more than just objects... A Legacy member is trapped and replaced by another. Will the team find out the switch before time runs out to save them from being lost forever?


MirrorrorriM

Julia woke up for the... well she couldn't remember what number this was, but she slipped out of bed quietly, having heard Amelia through the baby speaker start to wake up.

She peeked over at Derek and smiled a little. He had gotten up most times with her and looked tossled.

She slipped her robe on and headed to the baby room, stopping beside her daughter's bassenett.

"Hello, cutie." she murmured, picking her up and cradling her as she moved to the window seat. The curtains there showed the early morening sunlight but blocked it from hitting them directly.

Amelia made a sound and was already instinctively looking for her mother's breast.

"Hungry tike." Julia teased her as she lowered the left side of her robe and slip "I think you've definetly taken after me in that regard."

She laid her head back but continued to look down at Amelia as she fed, Julia running her finger gently along Amelia's small cheek.

A few moments later and Amelia full, both mother and daughter fell asleep right there where Julia lay: robe and slip back in place and Amelia laying on her Momma's chest with her small ear against her heart and small fist tucked by her mouth.

Derek awoke to an empty bed and it didn't take him long to realize it had been empty for awhile. He had a feeling he knew where Julia was, so he slipped out and groggily headed to the baby's room, where he found them both asleep. He sat down on the edge of the window seat and looked down at the pair, before kissing Julia on the forehead.

She woke up sleepily and smiled, kissing him on the chin where she could reach him and careful not to wake up the baby.

"Didn't mean to wake you." she whispered to him, still smiling crookedly.

"Then you better not stay away so long next time," Derek told her softly.

"Yes Sir." she replied with a slight chuckle, staying quiet so as not to wake up Amelia. She then let him sit back up and let her hand settle on his leg, the other cradling their daughter "What do you have planned for the day?" 

"I don't know yet," he admitted, "spending as much time with my wife and daughter as possible was the only thing on my agenda so far. Though I suppose I should try to do soe work. Perhaps, I could take you both into the control room with me."

Julia smiled, liking that idea. And they could use the carriers they had gotten. She had had adjustments made on them so that a newborn could be placed in it but able to support the baby's head and neck, whereas, in other makes, it was geared more toward the baby that already had stability in the neck and back. And until now, they hadn't had an opprotunity to use them since their return home from the hospital.

She cradled Amelia close as she moved to sit up, careful not to wake her. Julia figured she could see if Derek would hold Amelia for a little while in the carrier as well, having a more male colored one, and give her time to try and... well, do the bottle thing so he could feed their baby girl. 

Thinking about it made her ears pinken but she kept the thought to herself.

"And if she happens to get baby drool on the paperwork for Sloan to see.." she teased with a soft chuckle.

Derek shrugged, "All the better." 

Julia took Amelia over to the changing table and grinned as Amelia woke up but didn't cry. Setting her gently on the table, Julia changed her diaper and cooed at her, keeping her voice low.

"And Pappa's going to take us to work." she added in a whisper "Maybe you can help him with the computer, hmm?"

Amelia's little hands moved and she gave a tiny kick as Julia finished, then changed her into a light weight pink uni, complete with booted feet and sleeves that had little covers on them that could be used to cover Amelia's fingers if needed.

Julia looked at Derek and winked "Baby girl's ready to go. Our turn."

"I think I'm taking her for coffee first," Derek informed her, "after I shower and get dressed."

Julia grinned and turned to mock whisper to Amelia "Make sure he shows you the good stuff."

Then she straightened and picked her up, turning to put her into her bassenette "Then let's go change and you can start corrupting our daughter in the ways of caffiene."

Derek stopped at the bassenette and kissed Amelia's forehead. "There is nothing corrupting about caffeine," he informed Julia as he slipped an arm about her waist and led her back to their room.

"You make it sound like being corrupted that way is a bad thing." she chuckled as she slipped her own arm about his and went with him, laying her head against his arm as they walked. She was tired but she was also very much in the mood to get up and do something other than sleep.

"Corrupt is not generally a good term." Derek pointed out to her as they reached their room. 

It didn't take either one of them long to get cleaned up and changed. And because the guys were either out or off doing their own thing, Julia settled on wearing a pair of knit pants and one of Derek's old shirts and a pair of socks. That was all she was in the mood to wear and although she didn't look like hell warmed over, knew she wouldn't be winning any glamor contests along the way.

Of course, she thought half humorously as she tried to tie her hair back to keep it out of Amelia's already strong grasp, she was never into winning those things.

Derek came up behind her, dressed and ready himself slipping his arms about her. 

"Hmm." he said thoughtfully.

"Something about that shirt looks veguely familiar." he mused, before kissing her temple.

She winked at him as she tossed the part of her hair over her shoulder, having braided it in a ponytail, then worked on the other side. She figured if she had to keep her hair out of Amelia's grasp, this would be less of a headache for her thick hair than the single ponytail on top of her head.

"Didn't know that was part of the wedding vow, did you?" she grinned as she finished braiding the second 'tail' and letting it drop behind her shoulder "Til death do you part or until your shirts are all worn out by the wife."

"I think I must have missed that part of the ceremony," Derek replied thoughtfully as he took one of her braids and turned it under. 

"Little girls in Holland used to wear them like this," he told as the braid now formed a loop. "Some still do I suppose."

"You trying to say something?" Julia winked before giving him a quick kiss and chuckle.

"No, no," Derek replied, "just giving you some cultural history."

She wiggled her eyebrows and gently took the braid from him, pinning it and the other under and then making a mock pose "Whaddya think, think I can pass for a Dutch gal?"

"Perhaps," Derek said, considering her "a bit tall though." 

He kissed her then and they both headed out of the room and into Amelia's. Once there, he gently lifted the tiny baby from her bed and settled her onto his shoulder so they could all head downstairs.

Julia could only chuckle and follow, before picking up the carry-alls for both of them as they headed toward the Control Room.

They stopped before the Control Room wall and the laser did it's scan, before turning to scan the small form on Derek's shoulder.

"Identify." the computer voice prompted, waiting to put the information in its databanks and for the security clearance Derek would have to give to allow Amelia access to the room.

"Amelia Elizabeth Rayne," Derek said, "Rayne-007985."

The barrier vanished allowing them inside.

"There you are young lady," he said softly, "no longer a stranger here."

Amelia made a soft sound and put her hand into her mouth, cooing.

Julia grinned, both at the access code and at the pair as Derek walked further into the Control Room.

"How about," she offered, putting her carry-all on a nearby table and holding up Derek's for him "We make this more comfortable for the both of you and I'm going to slip out for a moment and be back with Pappa's turn at feeding time."

Derek looked at the item Julia held for a moment, it would leave his hands free and still let him have Amelia near and he had to admit he liked the idea of that. So, he nodded and carefully lowered Amelia down into his arms and let Julia help him put the thing on, then he slipped the tiny child inside where she settled comfortably against his chest.

"Amelia and I will do the morning scans while you do that," Derek told her. "Since Nick seems to be having a sleep over."

Julia kissed his temple and smiled, then stroked Amelia's head before leaving "Have fun then. I'll be back in a moment."

Derek took a seat and began to do the security checks explaining to the baby what he was doing as he did it. 

"Everything looks fine," he assured her "And it usually is, so you don't need to be worried about that."

Amelia let out a soft contented sigh, her small fingers catching hold to part of Derek's shirt sleeve.

Julia went back to Amelia's room and got what she needed.

.... and just as Amelia clutched her Pappa's sleeve, the main computer screen came to life, a call coming in through the private Legacy channels, and Sloan's face appeared in the next second.

The man, having known the more stringent side of Derek Rayne, had to pause before speaking, covering his mouth and a too-obvious grin that was showing despite the try he did at covering it.

"Derek." he finally managed in greeting.

Derek gave the man a very serious stare. 

"William." he said in a similiar tone, though his tone also conveyed the fact that he had not had any coffee this morning.

Julia sighed, blushing. 

Why did she feel like a cow at this particular moment? She wondered half wryly as she headed to the kitchen and, a moment later, back up toward the Control Room.

"...she's cute. I think she takes after her mother." Sloan was saying as she entered, obviously teasing Derek but looking as if he meant the compliment as well "Where is Julia anyway? I wouldn't have thought a new mother would leave a cute thing like that so soon."

"Right here." Julia said to let them both know she was there, just in case Derek hadn't heard her enter. And she wasn't sure why - either it actually being an undertone to what Sloan said or her just being sensitive about what he said, but she had to swallow her reaction to the part about leaving Amelia - as if she could, whether a new mom or not.

She set a mug of coffee on the desk beside Derek but far enough that Amelia couldn't inadvertantly knock into it by some means. Then she set the bottle down beside it.

William tried to hide another grin, seeing that Derek just might be the one to feed the little girl. Should he prolong the reason he called to see that particular feat?

"Thank you," Derek said softly to Julia as he reached for the coffee and took a long sip. His dark eyes narrowed as slightly at Sloan as he glanced back him on the screen. He took another long sip before putting it down and speaking to the man. "You act as though you never seen a baby before in your life."

"Seen a baby, of course." Sloan admitted, before pointing out "Seeing the almighty Precept of the San Francisco Legacy House with a baby while working, well that is another thing all together. Not that there hadn't been, well how about you drink your coffee and I start sending over the files I have here. Interesting reading."

Amelia made a sound, something between distress and aggrevation. Julia stroked her soft head gently and murmured "I know, we feel the same way."

She shot Sloan a look and sat down to start printing out the report he was sending, with enough copies for the rest of the team. She spotted the words 'estate' and 'haunted'.

"A little late for Halloween." she commented.

Derek couldn't help but smile at the baby's reaction, even if he knew the true cause of it. If nothing else Amelia had perfect timing. He took another long sip of his coffee before removing Amelia from the sack and settling her in his arms and carefully easing the nipple of the bottle into her mouth. "I fail to see why you find that so humurous."

Sloan smiled slightly "That's because you're not seeing what I am. Get the files Julia?"

Julia read the information and nodded, sending the same material to the monitor in front of Derek.

There was an old house that had to be inventoried, a house that had a history of 'sightings' but nothing documented.

She looked at father and daughter and smiled softly. Amelia was drinking contentedly, almost ready to be burped.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Derek asked her. "Alex can do it." 

He could see the look in her eyes.

"Of course she can." William spoke up, before pointing out with a rhetorical question "She's off of maternity leave, isn't she?"

"Was there anything else you needed William?" Derek asked the man, turning his gaze to him with a slight degree of irritation.

"Not that I can think of. Just keep me posted." Sloan said with a quick wry smile and nod before saying teasingly in parting "She takes after her mother."

"Goodbye William." Derek said before cutoff the satelite link and turning his attention back to Julia.

And irritating or not, Julia thought, Sloan was right. She was off of maternity leave and this particular job had to do specifically with the position she had taken with the Luna Foundation. She felt Derek's gaze and looked at him.

She managed a crooked slow grin. It was obvious she didn't want to go, but she didn't want to deny him his 'Mister Mom' thing either and that meant quality time between father and daughter. 

She gently kissed their daughter's head again and walked to him, having also noticed he had hung up on Sloan as it were and laying her cheek next to the spot she had just touched with her lips.

"Give us a hug so Momma can get work done and come back to smother the both of you from seperation anxiety." she joked, voice low so as not to unintentionally startle Amelia. Maybe it was the hormones her doctor said would be felt after the birth but Julia needed to feel both of them for a moment, Derek's arms about both of them.

Then, she thought to herself, she'd be the Julia most people expected to see.... well, hopefully anyway.

Derek closed his arms about her and kissed the top of her head. 

"You have until breakfast is over to change your mind," he told her. "Or until you reach the ferry...."

Nick had spent the night with Philip, mainly to just hang out, but also to help try and jog his friend's memory, the Priest haven't been able to remember much about his past since he had been released from the hospital weeks ago, since the team had stopped the demon from taking complete control over all of the seplicurs in its bid to release Hell on Earth.

He had left Philip at Rachel's, both having driven there about an hour ago and Kat wanting to spend time with Philip before she had to go to school and Rachel promising to bring Philip with her when she was headed out this way.

And truth be told, although Nick hadn't slept, he wasn't really that tired. Or maybe he was but not in the mood to sleep yet.

It was with that thought that he entered the library and then went into the Control Room, seeing the couple and baby there.

He blinked and joked at Derek "Already getting her into the family business huh? What's on the menu for the day?"

"You're never to young to start," Derek replied. "Haunted houses, so they say."

Julia gave Nick a half smile and then looked up at Derek at his answer before rolling her eyes, but it wasn't until she heard the swooshing sound of the main opening to indicate another entry that she straightened and gently parted from Derek. Not because she wanted to but this was the Control Room and the team being there usually meant down to business time.

She gently touched her lips to the side of Amelia's temple and cradled her in her arms before going to "introduce" her daughter to her Momma's habit of sitting on a table and greeted the others "Just in time to hear what kind of fun we'll be having today."

The second sound of the Control Room entryway was Alex, and she grinned at the others as she sat at her usual place at a computer terminal. She wanted to go coo over mother and child but figured they had both had a good amount of that and, like Julia figured, for the most part Control Room was get to business territory when they were all there.

"So what kind of fun are we getting into?" she asked.

Derek slipped off the baby carrier laying it aside for the time being, no point in just wearing it around after all. 

"Ghouls and Ghosties and long leggies Beasties," he said handing her the print out. 

Alex gave a half teasing, half impressed smile as she accepting the papers and reading "Sounds like fun." 

"And work." she added, seeing that they would have to do some tracking down of items and cataloging "But by the looks of these pieces it could be great." 

"Only worry if things start talking to you." Nick quipped, remembering the time she had tried to get him to somehow appreciate old art and said something about art just speaking to a person's soul. Then he looked at Derek "Alex, Kris and me?" 

He meant who all were going to be in on the relatively easy job and who was going to stay home. Although he hadn't seen Kristin, he knew that she had been released from the hospital as well.

Julia frowned slightly in thought. She knew Kristin had transfered to the Boston House, both to better recouperate but also because Philip's amnesia had troubled the other woman - more than hinting that Kristin had more than just friendship feelings for Father Philip Callahan. But with Nick's question, it was obvious her leaving hadn't been well known.

Amelia stirred slightly, sensing her mother's emotions as babies often did, and Julia made herself relax as she rubbed her daughter's back to help her relax again. A moment later and Amelia was once again resting peacefully, oblivious to the topic being discussed.

Derek looked at the others and reported what Julia already knew. Both Alex and Nick blinked with surprise but also with expressions that showed a degree of lack of suprise by the move that told Julia that maybe they had expected Kristen to return to the Boston House with little to no forewarning. He also informed them that Julia would be heading the assignment.

Just then the entryway alerted them to a new entry, that of Dr. Rachel Corrigan. She smiled in greeting to the others and informed them "I went ahead and let Kat play hooky today, she's downstairs showing Philip the joys of a Monster sandwich."

"How is he doing?" Derek asked, concerned.

"Why don't you and Rachel go check on Philip before we head out?" Julia suggested "I can bring the others up to date on what we're going to be doing."

That way he could see Philip as she was sure he wanted to do and she could give him Amelia afterwards, when they were ready to leave.

Derek paused and nodded. He hadn't had time to really speak with Philip or to see how he was really doing since Amelia's birth and the reports and work he had to do after they had after defeating the demon.

He went over to Julia and kissed her before heading out of the room. As he started out he called over his shoulder, "Rachel."

The doctor wiggled her eyebrows and turned right back around to follow the Precept out "Duty calls."

Nick chuckled and went to go sit in the seat Derek had vacated, before looking back at Julia and asking curiously "You sure you want to do this?"

"It's just cataloging." Alex piped in, repeating his words with a wry tease. She was thinking along the same lines but figured there was a good reason why Julia was getting involved, and maybe it was because it was supposed to be an easy case that Julia was getting in on it. She doubted Derek would let her go if it was anything with any kind of danger possibility "I'll make you do the lifting."

"Thanks." Nick drawled, even if he was already planning on doing it.

Julia grinned at the two but was also thinking about the situation with Philip. She looked at Alex thoughtfully, knowing the two had always had a kind of kinship to the other.

"Don't take this wrong but," Julia admitted, rubbing Amelia's back gently "I think you should stay here and help with Philip.

"After all," she pointed out with a slight shrug and a teasing grin toward Nick "It is just cataloging - and Nick's done the drinking gig with him last night - so it might do some good to get all of us to jog what memories we can."

"And," she added, thinking of the cataloging itself "If you're here and we bring a laptop we can cut days off of having to reload the list into the database."

She had figured Derek could do it, but with the situation with Philip, he'd probably want to be more involved in that aspect of things.

She looked at Amelia's small form and smiled to herself slightly. That and he might want to show their baby off, distract Philip a little from the worried emotions he might be feeling. 

Rachel and Derek made it to the kitchen, hearing Kat's giggling proclaimation that Philip had succeeded in making the perfect Monster sandwich. It made Derek's lips curve, hearing both of their laughs afterwards. Then the two entered the kitchen, seeing the two at the main table and heads bent over the condiments they were using.

"Good morning," Derek replied, feeling an immediate sense of relief when he saw his friend standing there in one piece. Physically at least he seemed intact as far at he could tell.

Derek could see Philip's hesitancy, which was unsettling. 

"Do you ...remember me?" he asked bluntly. There was really no other way for him to find out and beating around the bush was going to get them no where.

Philip looked at him, something flickering in his gaze, as well as confusion as he spoke "Derek...I think."

"Well, that's a start." Derek told him with a smile. He didn't want to push too hard, knowing that it could cause a bad reaction in a patient to do so "What's to eat?"

He wasn't really hungry but one worked with what they had, and right now he had a couple of hungry people. He looked back at the kitchen door, wondering if Julia had grabbed something while she had been down here earlier.

Alex nodded to Julia's suggestion. They had to help their friend any way they could.

Nick tucked the papers he'd been holding in his back pocket "Sounds like a plan. And food sounds like a good plan now. Any takers?"

Alex laughed and stood "Leave it to our guy here to get right to the point, but breakfast does sound good."

Julia straightened and continued to rub Amelia's back, leading the others out into the hall and down. She spotted Derek and the others and stopped so that they could catch up, offering Philip a hint of a smile in greeting.  


Jonathan, already knowing that the others would be down soon as he often did since he had been in this house long enough to pretty much know their way of doing things, was already on his way to the kitchen. Things were already being cooked on the stove and oven and should be ready by now.... It ran like clock work, how he entered the kitchen with the others getting settled, and Jonathan being able to merely take things from their pans and transfer them to dishes.

Philip looked at her for a moment, then at the baby. Something clicked for him, although he wasn't sure what it was, and he looked back at the woman "Julia?"

Derek, with Philip to his right as he sat at the head of the table, gave his shoulder an encouraging pat. 

"And Amelia." he introduced the baby proudly.

Julia shifted so that Philip could see Amelia, and met his gaze with a proud smile of her own. That and to smile in answer to him recognizing her.

She then looked at the others, giving them a chance to say something to the Priest.

Philip smiled, a little sheepishly "She's beautiful."

"We tried." Julia responded with dry humor and looking at Derek. It didn't look like Philip was hurt badly, physically. Her gaze asked if she was assuming right. And because Philip had spent more time in the hospital than she had, and because of the extent of his injuries, she hadn't been able to see him until now.

Philip looked at the others and it was obvious he was placing names to faces, having only to guess at one more.

"Alex." he said after a moment, remembering last night and Nick having talked about her a little bit. That and something just clicked in his head with the name. Nick he knew, mainly because of the time they had spent together since Philip's release from the hospital.

His time during the hospital had been nothing but one big blur.

It wasn't until he was at the Parrish he was assigned to, in his personal room, and Nick started visiting soon after, that the blur started to look like pokey things out of the blur... and from there, an instinctive recognition of the ones around him. He knew they were his friends.

Rachel was constantly watching and observing, not saying a word. She was glad to see he recognized everyone. That was a good sign. She hoped that with a little help from everyone, reminding him by tales from the past, he could get his memory back and soon.

Philip looked at Kat again, again remembering how she had first greeted him and his reaction to it....

And his expression wasn't missed. Alex caught a tell-a-tale blush and asked curiously "What are you thinking about?"

Philip blinked and, a little embarrissed, asked in turn "Do I usually tell you?"

"Absolutely." she responded without blinking an eye. And it was actually the truth, she and Philip had a close relationship and were the best of friends and, in a lot of cases, each other's confidants.

What the heck, he thought before admitting what he was he had been thinking about.

it had been last night when Nick had taken Philip to Rachel's to meet them and, at Rachel's insistance, spend the night. Kat had come in as she did most days after her after-school activities and plopped her book bag on the floor next to the front door. That was, until she spotted Philip standing in the living room.

"PHILLIP!" Kat's shout reverberated through the house then as she ran at top speed into Phillip and hugging him fiercely. 

It had been all Philip could do as he looked at the other two with confusion, even as he returned the hug as best he could under the circumstances. For a moment, he actually thought that, although he was a Priest, that maybe....

And Nick had laughed, just as he did now while Philip told the others of what had happened, even as Jonathan came over with the platters of food and started to set them down.

Kat looked only partly depressed at Philip's amnesia as she informed the others "He didn't know who I was. But then he remembered something so he's doing better."

Julia started to smile, before looking down at the baby as she stirred but didn't become fussy. Jonathan finished what he was doing and motioned for the group to start eating. While the others started passing different dishes around, Julia shifted so that Amelia was laying in her arms in front of her. The baby's small fingers were opening and closing and, shifting her weight into her left arm, Julia lifted her right forefinger to one of the hands, grinning when Amelia immediately closed her baby fingers around it.

Beautiful, she thought, shifting slightly so that she was able to put her feet on the upper rung of the chair beneath her seat and use her legs and arm to support Amelia. Julia then turned her gaze to Derek who was sitting at the head of the table and to her right, before looking back at Amelia.

"You can change your mind." Derek reiterated as he served her some eggs benedict.

"And make you miss out of the Mister Mom thing?" Julia murmured to him, gently kissing Amelia's fingers.

"Don't think of it that way." Derek told her. 

"Just think of it as postponing it until another time." He added some sausage to her plate and then a biscuit.

"Thank you." she smiled softly, meaing both the offer and for putting together a serving of food for her. She turned at Kristin's entry and just grinned unrepentantly, before turning her attention to father and child "So whatcha got planned for your first father/daughter day?"

"Spending sometime with Philip." Derek admitted.

"And catching up on the mail mostly. Other than that I was thinking of doing some serious lounging around the house."

Julia watched as he gently took Amelia and picked up her fork to take a bite of the breakfast he had served her, grinning around a fork-ful of eggs at his plans and the scene between Kat and Philip that Derek was also watching. Kat had asked Philip what he remembered, and in answer, the Priest picked up a knife and a biscuit, putting butter on it and saying 'this' before taking a hearty bite and making the little girl giggle.

"Well," she added low so as not to disturb the others when she swallowed the bite of food "I'll lounge around when I get back. Probably take a nap too."

Which was odd - or would be had it not been that the reason for the need for a nap was giving birth, waking up at all hours of the night and just the physical drain of it all together - and a part of her wondered if she could get out of napping, although she knew she shouldn't.

Derek smiled at her. "I think that is an excellent idea."

She returned his smile and worked on finishing the plate he had made. The sooner they got on the road and started the job, the sooner it would be finished.

Nick glanced over just then and noticed the look in Julia's gaze and poked Alex in the ribs lightly with his elbow, "I recognize that look, she's mentally telling us to speed it up."

Alex chuckled, already eating, but mock whispering back "Then do what you usually do, eat anyway and while you're walking."

"Ha ha." he retorted with a crooked grin, looking at Kat when she looked his way and winking before standing and grabbing a bannana "I'll be right back and ready to head out."

"Needs to get his toys." Alex explained as he left, knowing he would probably bring some tech things to set up in the house while they worked in it.

She looked at Philip and then at Kat, knowing they would most likely keep each other company.

"But when we get back," she suggested to them both "Why don't we have lunch out in the garden?"

That was one of Philip's favorite places.

Julia finished eating what Derek had servered her and wiped her mouth, looking at him "Want to get something to eat?"

She'd hold Amelia if he did. And if he didn't then... well she'd make herself go. Rachel looked ar Derek holding his little girl and smiled. She heard him say he will be spending some time with Phillip so she turned to Nick and said, "Since it seems Phillip will be in good and capable hands here, I think I'll join you guys in your investigation." 

Nick had only to grab his usual essentials so didn't take long before he came back, having heard what Rachel said and shrugged, pointing to Julia "Fine with me but ask the boss."

Alex chuckled, ready herself "Just like old times. Does this mean Jules is going to have to save your ass?"

Nick scratched his head sheepishly but took the bait of her teasing "I wasn't that bad, but I can make sure we'll have to save yours if you keep it up."

Alex rolled her eyes and nudged Rachel "Ready? We should ride with Julia, or Nick will make sure to drive even faster than usual, just to exact his revenge."

"More hands the better." Julia replied with a half smile before looking at Derek and bending to kiss his temple and then look at Amelia. She would have liked to have him walk her to the car but she didn't want their baby girl outside just yet.

Philip accepted the invitation and picked up the half of the Monster sandwich Kat and he had made, and took a bite.

"Heading out?" he asked after chewing and swallowing the bite he had taken.

Julia nodded and straightened "Yup."

"Remember what I said," Derek told her reminding her of his offer to change her mind. He was glad Rachel had volunteered to go along. If she hadn't he was planning on volunterring her, just in case Julia needed her. "And if you stay true to your usual stubborn self, try to have some fun." After all it was an easy case and should be interesting.

"I remember." Julia assured him with a slight smile as she then bent to kiss their daughter's downey cheek.

"Have fun with Pappa." she whispered to her, careful to move her hair out of the way before Amelia had a chance to get a grip "Don't forget your Momma."

Rachel smiled then said, "Don't worry Derek, I'll keep my eye on her and I won't let her push herself too much."

"Thank you." Derek replied smiling at Rachel. That did make him feel better about this. He looked at Julia and added low enough so that only Julia could hear him "She wouldn't forget her Momma anymore than Pappa would."

Julia shifted and kissed Derek, feeling better hearing that and murmuring "Good answer. Have fun."

She then straightened and motioned for the others to head out "Let's book."

And maybe it was the hormones the doctor had warned them about but Julia suddenly had a flash but mix of irritation and anger, which she tried to hide by going to the foyer and getting her jacket "Nick, go ahead and take your car, Alex and Rachel can ride with either of us."

Nick nodded and motioned for Alex to ride with him, both giving the others waves of goodbye as they left and headed toward his car. 

Julia followed and motioned for Rachel to follow. They made it out to her SUV and got in. 

Moments later the group was driving toward the ferry and onward, reaching the house they were assigned to within half an hour.

Julia parked and unfastened her seatbelt, looking at the estate. Then, getting out, she looked at the others before going to the front door with the keys to let them in. 

Nick followed, parking behind the SUV and letting Alex walk ahead of him. Both looked at the part of the house they were at, with Nick whistling low, impressed with the structure. It was smaller than the House but still sweet for it's make. 

Rachel followed Julia out looking at the house admiring it's beauty. 

Julia let them in and pointed to the different stacks of items, crates and things that had yet to be packed away "How about Alex, Nick, you take the second floor library and start cataloging. Rachel and I will start with the first floor."

Philip watched them leave and then looked at the ones remaining: Alex, Derek and Kat.

At least his retentive memory was working, he thought wryly as he helped himself to another slice of toast.

And Amelia. He looked over at the small child in Derek's hands. She needed to be Christened.

A Priest's thought, he realized, actually glad for it. He even chuckled slightly at himself, before taking a bite of the remaining half of the Monster sandwich

Nick nodded at Julia and headed upstairs, Alex following.

"Wow, check this out." Alex said, seeing the artwork first and whistling, impressed.

"Any of them talking to you yet?" Nick teased, remembering a conversation they had had a while back about how pictures seemed to talk to people and that being the reason people had to have certain works.

"Not yet, smart ass." Alex said, taking out her laptop and setting up to start cataloging and sending directly to their main computer at the House.

Nick just grinned and continued to look around.

Julia pointed Rachel to the first box and went to work on another, opening the lap top Alex had brought for them and setting it up to start cataloging. She opened up the second box and went to work.

It was an hour later and a few boxes done that Julia came to a mirror behind them, still hanging on the wall.

"Wow." she murmured, running her fingertips along the intricate ornament frame surrounding it. Then, suddenly, she snagged it on something "Ow."

Rachel heard Julia and immediately straitened up. 

"Are you ok?" she asked worried. 

The other woman drew her finger away and shook it, looking to see a sliver sticking out of the frame before turning to Rachel and sucking on her finger "Have a band aid?"

"Always." answered Rachel, and dug in her purse for one.

"It's just a small scratch. It doesn't look too bad." she said as she put the band aid on Julia's finger. 

Neither woman saw the reddish black flash of light that sparked on the sliver....

"Thanks." Julia said, looking at her bandaged finger and thinking of Amelia and sighing.

"It's really not that bad Julia. Why the heavy sigh?" asked Rachel.

Julia gave her a sheepish look and shrugged "Seperation anxiety and feeling bad about it. Derek wanted to play Mister Mom..."

She straightened and looked at the next box and started to try and open it. 

Rachel smiled sympathetically. She knew exactly how Julia felt. She had the same feeling when she went back to work after Connor's birth, and even after Kat's. 

She put a hand on Julia's arm. "You can always leave and go back home. I'm sure Nick won't mind giving me a ride back."

Julia shook her head with a crooked smile "I don't want to ruin Pappa's big day."

She could just see Derek in the Control Room or his office doing work, with Amelia cradled in the carrier and couldn't help but feel her lips curve in a smile.

She glanced at Rachel and finished opening the box "And she's probably insisting on a bottle by now and I.. ermm.. well he has the next couple of feedings."

But after that she'd have a physical need to go home as well, seeing as she would start to feel sore.

Rachel smiled. 

"Ok," She said. "But if you get tired or start feeling sore, we're out of here. Promise to let me know."

"I promise."

Both Alex and Nick worked for a while, with Alex typing in what Nick unpacked and labelled while Nick made quips and comments along the way.

That was, until he found a piece of art that made him stop and study.

"Something actually speaking to you?" Alex teased, making Nick blink and look back at her, before looking at the object again.

"I think so." 

It was made out of metal, marble and some other kind of stone, a woman in its center, with different designs all around her.

Alex lifted a brow, impressed. She had only been teasing him but it was obvious he really was taken with the piece. She would set that one aside when it came time to researching and let him do it.

"What do you think about giving a little surprise party for the baby and new parents?" she asked, thinking of the idea she had been bouncing around since waking up "Baby looks gorgeous, Julia looks healthy and Derek looks like the proud father."

Nick blinked and looked at her, before turning back to the piece. Amelia was gorgeous, Julia, well Julia had that glow going he had heard so much about. And Derek, Derek was the luckiest man alive.

"Sure." he agreed, setting the piece down without labelling it, keeping it seperated from the others as he continued working.

Alex started typing in the information he gave next, at the same time making a check list in her head for what would be needed for the small maybe after-dinner desert kind of celebration.

The work went on for a little while longer before Julia turned to look at Rachel "Do me a favor and go to check to see how Alex's doing. I think it's time to call it a day here so they can get started in researching pieces at the House."

Rachel looked at her wrist watch and realized they've been working for a few hours straight. 

"Of course." she said, leaving the room and running upstairs.

"Hey, you two," she said spotting Nick and Alex. "Julia says we should call it a day, and I have to agree. So get ready to head out."

Julia shifted to try and push a box over to a spot to mark where they had left off, knowing she wasn't supposed to lift anything heavy.

"Psst!"

She stopped suddenly and turned, having heard someone hissing for her attention and knowing full well that Rachel was upstairs with the others.

"Hi!" Julia's reflection spoke to her from the mirror, just as, and without warning, reached out and pulled her forward.

Julia tried to yell for help but her reflection merely chuckled and finished pulling her in, before hoping out and tapping the now solid glass between them, the real Julia coming in contact with solid glass as she hit it trying to get back out. Each sound she made, whether cursed words or hits against the glass was muted and yet echoed behind her.

Julia's reflection, now a perfect mirror image of her, grinned and whispered "Sorry but no one can hear you."

The doppleganger then went on to finish moving the box, commenting to the original "And I'm bored. Been stuck in there for an awfully long time.

"Speaking of which," she added, wiggling her eyebrows "cute husband you have. Might have to -"

"Get your ass kicked if you touch him!" Julia yelled at her replica, growling with frustration. Then she thought of Amelia and glared at the other "You touch either one of them and I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"Tsk tsk, temper temper." the replicated Julia taunted her, before turning to leave and meet the others.

Julia gripped her hands on either side of the mirror and hit the sides once. The glass was unbreakable on her side and the doppleganger was gone.

"Easy job," she mumbled angrily, looking around for some way to get out before screaming at the top of her lungs with the beginnings of a fear she was feeling "DEREK!!!!"

Only thing that met her was her own muted but echoed voice.

After letting the others know Julia want's to leave, Rachel said, "I'll meet you guys downstairs." 

She turned and went back down the stairs seeing Julia already waiting for them. "Someone here is eager to go home I see," she said a little friendly mock in her voice. 

Then taking a closer look at the young woman, something didn't seem right to her. Julia was a bit flashed as if running a fever. She put her hand on the young woman's forehead and then asked, "Julia, are you ok? you look a little different." 

She couldn't quite say what is was, but then using her doctor tone she questioned, "Have you been moving things you're not supposed to while I was upstairs?"

"Just ready to leave." Julia replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose. The other would be tired now, and missing the brat she gave birth to. 

Nick and Alex came down, Nick carrying the piece he was going to start with and Alex with the laptop "We are too. Beat you back home, eh?"

"Probably," said Rachel. 

"I think I better drive home," she told Julia, "You look beat."

"I can manage." Julia said, closing and then locking the library door she and Rachel had been in on her way and then going outside to the SUV.

She got in and started the engine, waiting for Rachel to catch up and get in. 

Nick headed to the Stang and Alex followed. He set the piece he had been carrying in the back seat and got in, calling out to the others "Meet you back home."

As soon as Alex got buckled in, he took off. He could only take so long in being cooped up with a bunch of old art.

Alex chuckled but didn't comment, knowing why he was so ready to leave.

Rachel sat quietly through the ride home. She felt the last thing Julia needs right now is a lecture on stressing herself. She did however glanced at the young woman every few minutes. 

It took a few minutes to get there, not having to wait long for the ferry, and soon they were pulling up to the House, Julia parking off to the side of the house and turning the ignition off. Then, pocketing the keys, she got out and closed the door, heading toward the front door to the House.

"I'm going to go lay down for a little while." She called back to Rachel, before entering and heading upstairs to the master bedroom.

Rachel just nodded, not saying a word. She stood outside the house for a while, enjoying the fresh air, after being in the stuffed old house for so long.

Both Alex and Nick went up to the Control Room to start work; Alex to start cataloging what had been uploaded to the main computer from the house and Nick to start on the object he had found.

"Wonder where Derek is." Alex wondered, sitting at the main computer.

Nick shrugged, putting the piece on the scanner and commenting "Playing Daddy, who knows." 

Julia hit the mirror one last time and slid to the floor. Her hands were bloodied and she hadn't found a damn way out yet - and looking at the window across from the mirror she was stuck in, she saw that it was getting dark.

Dark?? Where the hell were they?

"Amelia..." she whispered, wiping the corner of her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Julia was in pain, literally, from not feeding Amelia, but the combination of pain was from being away from her baby girl so long and thinking that imposter had her hands on HER family.

The thought brought forth another wave of anger and she started hitting the glass again, cursing at it when it refused to do anything but echo hollowly.

Derek had spent the better part of the morning, when Amelia was awake, showing her around the house and telling her about. After, she was never to young to start learning about her home. They had both been resting in a sun room on the far side of the house over looking the garden when troops came back. However, as soon as Derek realized they were back heck he collected Amelia, who was now awake and seemed to very content, and started back towards the front of the house. 

"Let's go see how you're Momma is doing," he said to the baby, who made a soft noise in response. "I'm sure she missed you."

"I am sooo out of here."

The woman looked around the bedroom, standing in the middle of it in exasperation. "A husband that doesn't bother to visit the wife, no wonder the girl was working so soon after having the brat. Must've been good enough to pop that out and to hell with her. Job done."

She picked up the purse, smiling a little at her plans, and then opened the bedroom door.

Derek had just reached the third floor landing when he spotted Julia coming out of their room purse in her hand. He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Going somewhere?" he asked curiously.

Go and act like she didn't see them or stop, fool 'em, and then split? 

She stopped and waited.....

She gave him a half smile and crossed her arms casually "I was going to go take a nap and realized I forgot my laptop at the house."

Good excuse.

She looked at the baby in his arms, admitting it was cute too - as long as it stayed in his arms and not in hers. Even mirroring this woman couldn't stop her reaction to kids.

"Nick can go it," Derek said reasonably. "All we need to do is ask him."

She rolled her eyes a little but pointed out "That's not very leader of the team for me. It's my mess up, it's my clean up."

"Anyway," she added with a crooked grin "It'll give you a little more time as Mister Mom."

She paused a moment, looking at him holding the baby, before asking in a seductive tone "Too bad it wasn't Mister Maid... what're the odds in getting you into an apron...?"

She wasn't reallly sure how she knew the term 'Mister Mom' or that it had something to do specifically between them, but it did, and she used it now. 

Derek turned bright red and found that he had to clear his throat before speaking. "Julia are you feeling all right?" 

Something didn't seem quite right. This morning, she didn't want to leave Amelia and now she was ready to go out, just to pick up a lap top. And as for the innuendo....it seemed like an odd time for that as well. "I really think you should get some rest."

"I will as soon as I finish my job." she said, starting back down the stairs before muttering "Shove the wifey out the door so soon after having a baby and then not respond to a flirt, no wonder depression's set in."

Derek turned and started after her catching what she said and staring at her completely baffled. Amelia was starting to get a little fussy and Derek knew she was probably hungry. He started down the stairs.

She reached the door and opened it, still muttering about what she thought was 'her' problems with the total lack of a romantic bone in his body, good looking one or not, and how he must think 'she' was as attractive as a broomstick.

"Or maybe it's sianara since he got the baby." she added, slamming the door behind her and going to the SUV and getting in. 

"You should thank me for taking you away from it, sister." she said as she turned the key in the ignition and shaking her head "And you wanted to get back to this?"

She looked at the pocket book in the caddy between the passenger and driver's seat, reaching down before opening it and seeing a few credit cards and then closing it. 

Hmm, she had an idea on what she was going to do now.

Derek carried Amelia into the kitchen and heated a bottle for her. Then he carried baby and bottled into the room where Nick and Rachel were and took a seat. Carefully he tested the milk on his wrist before, slipping the nipple into Amelia's eager mouth.

"Did either of you notice Julia behaving strangely when you were at that house?" he asked.

"Nothing specific, but she did seem a bit distracted. Which is not like her. But when I asked her, she just said she's tired. Which is acceptable considering giving birth and the multiple but odd hours of feedings. Why do you ask, did something happen?" wondered Rachel.

Nick looked at him and shrugged, before getting back to the artifact "I think you were both behaving strangely. I was thinking Sloan was more of an idiot than usual but if you were the one that gave Julia the job so you could get rid of her and play Mommy Nanny then the crown of King Idiot goes to you."

He didn't know why he said it but had to admit that if it had been him he would have liked having both his wife and kid home. Especially considering that neither one of them shouldn't have existed in the first place since the wife had died so many years ago.

Derek looked at his young friend, a bit startled by his tone. 

"The decision about taking the job was left up to Julia," Derek said in a calm voice. "I was not trying to "get rid of her." You shouldn't make judgements about conversations you did not witness." 

It was true that Julia had made the decision and he had given her every opportunity to change her mind, but he couldn't help but wonder if part of her decision had been based on the fact he had told her he wanted to spend some time with Amelia. She had even said it herself, when he told her she could change her mind. Derek pondered this for a moment and then pushed the thought aside. He knew Julia, if she really did not want to go she would have said no in the first place and still found some way for him to spend time with Amelia. That was just the way she was.

Nick shrugged "You asked about strange behavior, I answered."

Then he frowned, asking curiously "Why did she have to leave again?"

"She said she forgot her laptop and wanted to go get it," Derek told him. "I told her someone else could go back for it, but....she just went anyway."

He decided not to mention that she might have stayed if he'd agreed to hop into bed with her.

"Well, new mothers tend to be touchy and impatient at times, with all those hormons raging. She'll probably be back in no time. She won't stay away from this precious baby for much longer. The need to breast feed is stronger then you can imagine." Rachel offered, speaking medically and from personal experience.

Julia and her hormones weren't the only ones getting pissed, Nick thought as he straightened and rolled his shoulders "Tell you what, you all psycho-analyze this to death, I'm going to back to the house and see what's really wrong."

With that he headed toward the Control Room entrance.

"I'll come with you," Derek said, before looking at the women "Could you look after Amelia?"

"Of course." both Alex and Rachel chimed.

"Thank you." Derek replied and stood, carefully shifting Amelia and her bottle into Rachel's arms and hand. 

He gently stroked the baby's hair and whispered, "I'll be back in a little while." Then then he hurried after Nick.

He would have rather done it alone but then Derek said he was going, so Nick shrugged and continued on his way. If Derek got left behind, it wasn't his problem.

"Good lord..." 

Julia's head snapped up as she heard - well, her own voice - and she stood to face the mirror and the real world beyond it. She had lost track of time and even drifted off into a restless doze, only to be woken up from time to time of nightmares of seeing her little girl and Derek with some warped copy of herself.

"You know," her Doppleganger commented as she entered the room and closed the double doors behind her "You should thank me for taking your place."

Julia swallowed, putting one of her already bruised and bloodied fists against the mirror but not hitting the glass yet "If you've hurt my family..."

The Doppleganger rolled her eyes and dropped the shopping bag onto a nearby couch before walking over to the mirror and fixing a stray lock of hair "I haven't hurt anyone, but that husband of yours could really do with a romantic bone or two in that nice bod of his."

Julia blinked and felt herself flush. What had this... twin tried with him??

"Cute kid though."

Julia felt her heart tighten, as well as her physical body react to the fact she hadn't fed Amelia.

"Oh my," the Doppleganger said, noticing the woman's wounds "You shouldn't hurt yourself like that."

She could see her, Julia realized, tightening her fist.

"Let me out."

"Can't. That would mean I'd be stuck in there again."

Desperation and anger started to rise up within Julia even more.

"My baby needs me." she tried again "She'll be hungry soon and.. I..."

The Doppleganger snickered before completing the sentence "have to be the cow."

Julia struck out at the glass in frustration and anger, making her double jump a little in reaction before she gained her composure.

"Good thing I don't have your problem." the double admitted, admiring her form in the mirror "You're in pretty good shape, even with having a kid. Too bad your stick in the mud isn't into it."

Julia's blue gaze flashed angrily "The last person that tried something with my husband ended up with a cracked jaw."

The double obviously didn't take what she said too seriously as she lifted a dark brow "But I'm you. He'd be with his wife. What's wrong with that - ?"

Julia hit the window again, ignoring the pain she was in "As soon as I get out of here - !"

Her Doppleganger shrugged "You won't."

Julia slid down to the floor in defeat, pulling her knees up to her and wishing she were with her daughter and Derek.

Why hadn't they figured it out yet??

Derek caught up to Nick in the foyer and grabbed his jacket following the younger man out to his car.

Nick started the engine, driving in silence as he went. It took a little longer, because of the time of evening and the amount of traffic, but they made it to the house eventually. He parked and opened his door to get out.

"Oh crap." 

Julia looked at her doppleganger as the other spotted the two men approaching the house, and once again hit against the window.

"Sorry toots," the other admitted, even as she made like she was looking around the room for something "I'm the only one that can see or hear you. So even though your stick in the mud other half is here with the boy scout, they won't be able to know it's anyone but me here."

Julia hit the window again, to hell with her injuries. She was starting to lose her temper.

"The scout's cute though." the doppleganger commented with a shrug "He still have the hots for you, I wonder?"

She was going to seriously hurt the bitch when she got out, Julia thought, hearing the front door.

Derek got out of the car and headed towards the house entering it and looking around. 

"Julia." he called out.

"And he left the kid to find you." the doppleganger commented thoughtfully "Maybe he's not a total cold fish after all."

Julia stiffened and tried to see the door Derek would enter through if he came into the room.

"In here." the woman in the livingroom called out, almost relunctantly but with a teasing look toward the mirror. After all, the real Julia was in there as well.

She cleared her expression before the two could enter, sitting on the corner of a end table to wait for them.

Derek turned towards the voice and headed towards the living room, entering it with quick long strides. He walked up to his wife and stopped beside her - 

- As he did so, his body was suddenly gripped by an icy chill, immediately followed by the sudden vision of Julia cutting herself in that very room earlier that day. As the vision faded something else struck him and he looked at the woman before him thoughtfully. Carefully, he reached down and took her hands in his larger ones, raising them gently and examining them. 

He studied the bandaged one and looked at her. "What happened to you hand?"

Nick just watched them, leaning against the door jam with crossed arms. 

"Cut it earlier, when Rachel and I were cataloging down here." she answered, raising a curious eyebrow "Just barely noticing, hmm?"

She slipped her hand out of his easily enough, then went back to 'looking' around the room.

Julia made a frustrated sound deep in her throat, her gaze glued to Derek's back and then going between the two as the fake Julia started to move around the room.

"Please let me go." she tried to convince the other woman to listen to her "My baby needs me.... they're my family!"

"Damn you - !" she hit the thing that seperated her from the other room once again, blood remaining on the 'glass' in a smear as she tried to scream and make Derek hear her "DEREK - PLEASE, IT'S NOT ME!"

But of course, just like the doppleganger said, no one but she could hear Julia's cries, and she was ignoring her pretty well.

"You didn't give me enough time to notice." he pointed out in regards to her injury before asking "What're you looking for?" 

"The laptop, remember?" she asked as if saying 'slipping there, aren't you?'

"You didn't have the laptop." he pointed out, before looking around the room himself, his hazel eyes ending at the mirror and asking casually as he stepped toward it "Is this what you cut yourself on?"

"Rachel was bugging me to drive and I didn't see her with it and yes. How much further for the twenty questions?"

Derek looked at her, a hint of a humorous quirk to his lips as he did so before turning back to the mirror.

Julia held her breath as he neared, raising her hand to the glass again and touching where his would have been if she weren't trapped in this damn thing. Tears of frustration and even pain were running down her cheeks now as she begged him "Please Derek - I'm right here!"

"Careful!" the one in the livingroom called out to Derek as he reached out to touch the mirror.

Derek looked at her and then back at the mirror thoughtfully "I will be. It's quite elegant, the design."

What he didn't tell her, and he wasn't sure why until the moment his palm came in contact with the smooth surface of the mirror, was that he was having a psychic vision.

What he saw was not the woman behind him, but his wife, her bloodied hand against the mirror in front of him and touching against the very spot his hand was at. His eyes even moved as if looking straight into hers, a flash of emotion that only she could see, since the other was unable to see his face at the angle she was in in the living room.

He then lowered his hand and turned, putting the hand into his pocket "We should get back to the house, it's getting late."

"No - Derek!" Julia cried out to him and hit the glass "I'm here!"

She could have sworn he knew - and he was leaving now...?

Her gaze shot over to the other woman as her Doppleganger shrugged and started toward the door.

Derek asked that Nick take Julia to the car while he locked up, before he looked around once more.

Great, the woman thought, going with the younger man, going back to boredom island. But she went, not wanting to get them suspicious.

As soon as they left and he heard the front door close, Derek turned and put his hand to the glass again, voice low "I'll get you out, Julia. Just hold on..."

Julia shuddered in relief. He had known! She put her hand against his again, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Derek saw in his mind's eye the injuries she had given herself in trying to get out and looked at the reflective glass with a mixture of anger at her being trapped there and worry for the injury "I have to take them back and find out how to get you out, but we will be back. I love you."

He waited a long moment - or as long as he could without making the woman outside suspicious - and relunctantly dropped his hand and took a step back, only to grip his hand into a fist and jam it into his pocket and get control of his emotions before turning to go outside to the two waiting there.

"I love you too." Julia half murmured, half sobbed, more out of relief than anything else as she slid down to sit beside the 'prison door' and wait.

And the woman would tell him, he thought, clearing the glare that flashed in his hazel gaze before he left the house and went to the SUV where Nick had put Julia. He got in on the driver's side and started the engine, following the younger man out.

Julia's doppleganger sat in the passenger side of the SUV, looking at the Mustang for a moment before looking at the one driving the SUV. He didn't look angry or anything and was sure if he had somehow found out what had happened, would have pulled her back into the house.

Derek reached over and touched her hand.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to notice," he said gently. "Are you sure you're all right?" If he could win her confidence perhaps she would let her guard down and let something slip. It was worth a shot, at least until he could find something on his own.

She blinked and looked at him, relaxing a bit more. Maybe he wasn't a total loss after all.

"I'm fine." she said, looking thoughtful for a moment as she turned her hand over so that it was against his palm "Feeling better by the minute."

"Good." Derek replied, smiling at her and giving her hand a very gentle squeeze.

Hmmm, maybe not a loss.

Julia sat beside the mirror, watching Derek go, before tracing her finger against the glass and then leaning her head back. She had seen his expression before he locked up the room and knew he'd get her out of here, no matter the cost.

But that didn't mean she wasn't worried about Amelia or in the same kind of pain she was in before Derek had discovered the truth.

She closed her eyes, not seeing the small pulsating red light that started in the mirror.

Julia's doppleganger sat in the passenger side of the SUV, looking at the Mustang for a moment before looking at the one driving the SUV. He didn't look angry or anything and was sure if he had somehow found out what had happened, would have pulled her back into the house.

Amelia was still fussy with the two women, wanting the ones she knew always held and fed her. She put her small fist into her mouth and started to suck, small eyes closed but showing signs of having been crying.

Nick opened the door and went into the house, heading up to the workout room for a while.

Alex on the other hand, was rocking Amelia gently, in the Control Room, sighing in relief when she saw the others return on the security monitors. "Poor girl, missing your Momma and Pappa. Well, they're home now."

The researcher had seen them coming through the front gates via the security cameras that showed in different screens along the wall.

Derek pulled up out front and parked the SUV.

I am not going to feel guilty, she told herself as she reached to open the door, giving Derek a half smile. I've waited too long to be free.

Derek returned her smile and got out of the car, meeting her on the other side and holding the door for her.

Was this how it was for Julia? she wondered, walking with him to the house.

"We should let everyone know we're back," He said. "I have some work I need to take care of, but we could have a nice quiet dinner when I finish. That would give you time to rest, if you like."

Work and dinner. That would take up some hours, she thought as she nodded quietly "Rest sounds good."

She only had to make it to midnight, then she would be free forever.....

Derek smiled at her. 

"Why don't we go check on our daughter." he suggested.

There was a slight hesitation before she nodded, mentally groaning but knowing she couldn't get out of it. She just hoped the kid wouldn't be fussy like it had been when she had left earlier.

Derek slipped his arm about her waist and led her upstairs to the control room.

She went with him quietly, even if she did step closer to him.

This isn't bad, she thought, not bad at all.

Her thoughts went to the one in the mirror but then shifted quickly. She had freedom now - and with the way Rayne was acting, she was fitting into this role pretty well.

The control room computer scanned Derek's retina and allowed the pair to pass through wall into the room where Alex, Rachel and Amelia waited.

"How'd things go?" he asked as they stepped inside.

"Your daughter missed you something terrible." Alex told him, gently handing the baby to him an! d smiling in greeting to Julia "You okay?"

Derek accepted Amelia cradling her gently. 

"Everything's going to be all right," he assured the baby in a soft. "Are you getting sleepy?"

Amelia recognized the one that held her and curled into him, but there was something still wrong. She hiccuped.

She wanted the other one but couldn't feel her nearby.

"She looks worn out." And like she wanted to be fed which made her ill at ease. She couldn't be Elsie for the kid like Julia could. The mirror didn't make *everything* exactly the same.

She then looked once around the room they were in, knowing that if she looked awed, it would get the other's attention. What kind of room was this? It looked important.. 

Derek wasn't about to let this woman feed his child, but so as not to make the other suspicious he decided to keep up appearances. 

"Would you like me to feed her and put her to her bed," he asked "so you can rest?" 

If she said no, he would deal with it privately.

"Okay." she agreed after a moment, a moment where she almost thought she had been caught. But then she remembered how he had been the one feeding the baby earlier and no one had asked her anything in regards to the kid.

But because she knew Julia cared and had seen the woman talking to Rachel about her, she added "I'll do diaper duty when I get up."

Not that she wanted to... but Julia Walker Rayne would never leave her kid alone that long.

And all she had to do was fool these people for a few more hours, then the transition would be permanant.

Derek managed a very sincere smile. 

"You have a deal," he told her. As he lead her out of the room, he called over his shoulder to Alex, "please make sure you have all of the information you all collected uploaded within the next 45 minutes, so I can review it."

Alex nodded and went right to work. It wasn't until she was done and she and Rachel had reached a stopping point, that she suggested they take a much deserved break and go out for lunch - a suggestion that Rachel agreed to, so, making sure that the information Derek requested was loaded for him, they left.

As the couple and chilc reached the hall Derek stopped and looked at the woman beside him. "Would you like me to bring you anything from the kitchen?"

"No, that's alright. You have your hands full.. literally too." she replied half humorously.

In more ways than one, Derek thought to himself, in more ways than one....

Derek smiled, "I can always grow an extra one for you," he told her as he started down to the stairs. "I'll see you in a little while."

He headed to the kitchen, where he warmed a bottle. Then he went to Amelia's room, stopping by his office to retrieve an archeological journal. After feeding the baby, he changed her and settled into the rocker with her. He then began to read aloud the one article in the journal he had been meaning to read as he rocked the infant. When he finished and looked at the little girl, she was fast asleep. "I take it you did not find that as fascinating as I did," he said in a soft voice, putting the journal down and standing up. He kissed his daughter's forehead and carefully put her in her crib. In a nearly silent whisper close to her ear he said, "son't worry darling, Momma will be home soon."

He then checked to make sure the monitor was on and left closing the door heading for his office. Once there he immediately began to read the information about the mirror that Alex had entered into the system. He then began to do research on mirrors that switched people with their reflections and any other helpful information he could find. He also began to look at other items in that house for clues. After all it was supposedly haunted.

Here she was again, she thought, looking up at the ceiling, thinking more along the lines of that odd room than of being on nap duty.

She wondered what kind of room it was, considering a person walked 'through' the actual wall to get in, not to mention all of the gadgets she saw in there. It made the mirror pale in comparison.

Few minutes, she calculated a decent 'nap' would take, then she'd go look for herself.

A few minutes later and she had opened the door, spotting the two women that had been in the special room leave and head downstairs, before leaving via the front door. Perfect.

Question she asked herself though, was did she want to look at that room... or find Derek? After all, he had been more... friendly toward her since their trip back from the other house. Where was his office anyway?

Derek had not found anything of real use yet and it was beginning to frustrate him. He left his office headed for the library to see if he could find anything helpful there. He was so focused on is goal he did not see the woman as entered the room and began to browse the stacks.

A smile curved her lips as she moved to the library, careful not to make a sound. She caught up to him, not really noticing the book bindings of the books he was looking at as she placed her hand on his arm "Hello there."

"Hello." he replied, recovering his composure quickly. 

She smiled slowly, running her finger along his arm "Didn't mean to startle you. Didn't you promise me dinner?"

* * * *

Julia jerked suddenly awake, only to hiss in pain before noticing the glowing edges of the mirror and falling backwards to get away from it. Without knowing what it was, on instinct alone, she knew what she was seeing was a bad thing.

A very bad thing for her.

"Derek..." she whispered, things looking more grim than they had before.

"I'm sorry you're in this position."

Julia jerked and whirled around, only to see an older many with graying hair and dark eyes. Who the hell was this and how did he get here....?

"She must learn her lesson."

Julia pushed herself up into a standing position, albeit shakily, against the wall, and looked at him"What lesson?"

The man looked sad and shook his head "I cannot let her out into the world until she learns. She found a way out into yours instead of learning, to go out into hers..."

It wasn't until just then that Julia started looking and really taking in the things around her. It was something the old man said that had her wondering....

"This is a world? Like mine?"

"Not exactly like yours, but similiar."

"And you locked her up in here?"

"I had to." the man said, looking at her for a moment "She had to learn life's lessons. Once she does..."

Julia raised her hand for him to stop, the pressure of knowing she could very well be trapped in here forever, coupled with never being with her baby and husband again making her voice a little more harsh than it would have been otherwise.

"You have her locked up in here to teach her right from wrong," she said, trying to figure it out for herself and have him verify her idea "before letting her live out there?"

She pointed to the doorway that was becoming clear in this dimension and was a reflection of the one Julia Walker Rayne had entered into with her teammates.

"Of course." the man said resonably "And time is becoming short, for both of you."

What was that supposed to mean... both of them....?

"She must learn before the mirror is destroyed."

Julia looked at the item in question, shaking inside.

Amelia started to wake up fussy, although not yet crying out. She wanted her... her momma. She started to sniffle and put her little hand into her mouth, curling up on her side. She was cold in a way only her parents could take away.

Her small sounds of distress could be heard feigntly from the baby monitor.

"I did," Derek confirmed, "what do want? I should make arrangements with Jonathan." He paused then as he heard a faint noise drifting from the open doors of his office. "Did you hear that?"

"The baby." she said, wondering why she suddenly felt a sense of concern even as she looked back at him. Why did she feel the actual need to go check on her? Good grief.

Derek listened again, she was right. It was the baby.

"I should go check on her." he said turning away from the stacks of books.

Since it would be wrong for Julia not to be concerned about the baby, she followed, even as something tugged at the edge of her mind as she tried to push it away.

Derek gently lifted the baby from her crib cradling her in his arms.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly, holding her closely.

Amelia got fussier, even as.....

"You have to stop this." Julia Rayne looked at the man that was suddenly there, referring to the glowing light that was, she more than suspected, closing the gap between her world and this.. cage "Derek will be back and get me out of here -"

"I cannot stop it, even if I wanted." the old man said with a sad sigh "Perhaps you may grow to accept the world you are in now if you cannot escape, for the hour is growing near."

"The hell I will." She said with determination, pointing to the mirror "My baby and family are out there, I am NOT going to get used to anything in here!"

"And why was she locked up in here?" She asked again"You can't learn anything being locked up!"

The old man looked at her, raising an eyebrow in quite curiousity and contemplation "Why not? Learn by observing."

"Life's lessons?" Julia asked, shaking her head and looking around where they were "You can't learn them like this."

Then she looked at him, trying to keep a lid on the pain she was feeling "Can you get me out of here?"

"I cannot."

Julia looked at the glowing light, a sound of frustration and distress low in her throat.

Derek carried the baby to the kitchen and rocked her gently. He asked "Julia" to make a bottle and provide helpful and also gentle tips for doing so whenever she seemed confused about the chore.

She couldn't help but look at the baby from time to time and tested the bottle, not really catching on to the fact Derek was actually telling her how to do things. Had she done that, she would have been suspicious that he possibly knew.... 

As it were, the baby's fussiness was doing something to her, something she was trying hard to ignore. She couldn't afford to feel anything other than the happiness of being free.

Bottle ready she offered it to Derek, "Is she sick?"

Derek was shocked that she would care. 

"I hope not," he replied, taking the bottle and beginning to feed the baby with a slightly troubled expression. "I don't think so." 

She chewed her bottom lip and looked at the baby. What if she was and Julia was....? 

She turned to clean up the items she had used to make the bottle, troubled.

Amelia drank from the bottle but was still making small sounds, before lifting her small hand and patting against her Papa's. She was feeling things she couldn't understand.... 

Flashes of images went through her small mind - Momma looking at a red glowing light, feeling sad, seeing someone else behind her, anger and frustration...

But little Amelia didn't know what any of this was or what it meant, she just knew something was wrong. So she tried to communicate it to the one that held her now, so he could make it better....

The vision came as a slight jolt to Derek. He knew immediately that it was coming from Amelia and not of the usual variety. It started with a tingling in his hand where hers touched his and the tingling spread throughout his body. It also lingered after the images faded. When it was over, he knew one thing. There was a time limit. He didn't know how long he had, but it wasn't long.

He put the bottle down on the couter and gently took Amelia's small hand in his holding firmly and rocking her reassuringly. He couldn't recall being that small, but knew she must be frightened.

He'll make it better, Amelia sensed, and settled more, falling into a light sleep.

Julia turned to the man and said tersly "I need to get out of here. There has to be a way!"

Then she looked around the room, her gaze intent but holding the hint of panic and determination she was feeling as her mind raced with possibilites. She looked back at the old man "What would happen if I left this room through there?"

She nodded at the door in the 'room' she was in"This..reality. Is it like mine or..?"

Would she be able to find Derek in this universe.. and if she could, would he be like hers was - or an enemy?

"It is different," the man said "And yet the same."

Julia gave him a look and mumbled "I hate riddles."

"She must return for you to be released into your world." he answered simply.

Great, just great. Julia couldn't help it and swung back around and pounded on the mirror.

"You are hurt, continuing to -"

"I don't care!" she barely managed not to yell at the man, her voice hoarse with emotion "I want out - I want my baby, I want Derek.... I want to go home..."

She did stop though, and turned, sliding to sit on the floor and look at him "She wouldn't have taken my place if you would have let her learn life's lessons like everyone else learns them."

One of the old man's brow rose as he thought about that. She had spoken of it earlier and he wondered if perhaps she were right on some level.... 

Julia winced, in physical pain as well as feeling the kind of desperation that included knowing there wasn't much she could do to get herself out of the situation, and wrapped her arms around her legs and silently prayed that Derek would hurry.

"We should get her back to bed." Derek suggested, Amelia having fallen into a light sleep moments ago. And although, he wanted to keep her with him, he had work to do. Perhaps, if he could get this woman distracted, he could retrieve Amelia later, at least as long as he was doing research.

Blue eyes regarded both baby and man before the woman nodded. The baby looked like she might sleep for a while and her gaze traced back to Derek, thoughts of her earlier intentions starting to come back to her. Except this time, although she wasn't going to deny she still had the idea of... getting to know him better, she was also aware of a small prick in the back of her mind. So following him she worked on ignoring that emotion.

Derek reached Amelia's room and tucked her in carefully. He then headed out of the room and started back down stairs, remembering vaugely the woman's earlier request. "I'll find Jonathan."

Before they even reached the baby's room, she was already remembering what it was he had promised and found her gaze straying as it had before Amelia's fussy episode, even with the annoying whispering in the back of her mind.

When Derek turned to her and said he'd find Jonathan, she considered herself back under control and offered him an almost seductive smile.

"...and what if she hurts someone?" the man was asking Julia, pointing out the cons points of letting his charge out into the world.

Julia set her head against the wall and answered in a near depressed tone "Depending on why she did it, she'd learn that it's either wrong to hurt someone, or that it's good she stopped someone from hurting someone else."

She missed her family damnit and really wasn't up to having this discussion.

"You may see her you know." the man offered.

Julia looked at him suddenly "How?"

He walked over to her and passed his hand over the part of the mirror that wasn't touched by the red aura "This is all I am able to offer. The gateway between our worlds is closing."

Julia stood and watched as an image of Amelia's room appeared, along with her baby girl in her crib - and the two adults that were there as well.

It wasn't until she finished looking at both Amelia and Derek for as long as she could before Derek started to leave the room that Julia noticed her double.. and the look in her eyes.

"Or that it's deserved for trying to get it on with my husband." she half growled as the image then began to fade.

"I apologize." the man said before she could ask what was going on, her gaze shooting to him "My link to your world is weakening. I am using what strength I can to keep the portal open for as long as I can..."

Which meant, without it being said, that the portal would most likely be closed by now and he was somehow forcing it to stay open.

And it wasn't until that moment that Julia noticed the line of sweat above the old man's brow.

Keeping it open was an almost physical labor, and it was wearing him down.

"So what did you have in mind for dinner," Derek asked, not really taking notice of the look on her face. His own face however, did reflect a certain amount of pleasantness and his usual charm.

She raised and eyebrow and smiled "Something good and could be eaten on the patio?"

The patio outside the bedroom to be exact.

"That leaves a lot to the imagination," Derek told her. "Are you sure you want to leave it up to him?"

"How about.." she offered, taking a step toward him and tilting her head to the side "I leave it up to you?"

"All right," Derek agreed, "if that's what you want."

"Mmmhmm." she nodded pleasantly enough, this time letting him see her gaze as she trailed it over his form and added "It'll be a good start, anyway.

Derek blushed slightly and cleared cleared his throat. "Start...?"

She was already seeing what Julia saw in Derek Rayne but she was sure it would have been obvious by now even to a blind man.

"Mmhmm." she responded almost teasingly, leaving it at that as she started out of the baby's room and waited for him.

Derek swallowed hoping he would be able to maintain his composure until he found the information he needed to get his wife back. He was willing to humor this woman for a while, but he had his limits.

He cast another look at Amelia and then headed out of the room started towards the stairs to find Jonathan.

Jonathan looked up as the kitchen door opened.

"I was just going to go find you to ask what I should cook for dinner."

He was also wondering if he should get the good wine out as well. The others had left to go eat elsewhere while Nick was off working, so that would have left the couple to eat together.

He wiggled his eyebrows "And would you like the good stuff? Not every night you get the house almost to yourself."

Derek hated this, here he stood about set up a romatic dinner with a woman who was not his wife. But if he did anything else the imposter would know that he had caught on to her and Jonathan would know that something was up.

He smiled and nodded. "I'll leave the menu to you," he said. "We'd like to eat on the terrace. I'll be in library until then."

Derek headed back to the library, entering through the downstairs doors. As he passed through the stacks a book caught his eye and he stopped, turning to run his hand down its spine.

"Oh my God," he said softly pulling it out and looking at it. It was just a children's book, but he realized it might actually be the key.

Derek hurried up the second level and into the control room. Once inside he put the book the table beside him logged onto the computer. He used his passcode to connect with the London house and made an emergency request for a digital copy of a Legacy Journal. Then, he sat back to wait, impatiently. It could be a few hours. But hopefully not that long.

His jaw clenched, realizing the implications that the route he had to take in order to find out how to save his wife could very well take too long to save her. All he could do right now was hold on and hope and pray that he could get Julia back in time.

He had to.

"Flannel pajamas? Geesh... " she went through the first drawer before finding something more along the lines of what she was looking for. Silk pajamas with... 

"This." she smiled with satisfaction, taking out some lacey under garnments "Underneath. Can't reveal too much too soon."

She laid the articles out on the bed and turned back to the dresser to look for some perfume, only to pause and look back at the bed with a frown.

What now? she thought, wondering why she suddenly had a bout of hesitancy. She looked at the clothes.

"I don't need this." she half growled then, knowing what it was that was making her stop.

Damn consciousness.

Derek headed upstairs when he heard that dinner was ready. He was still waiting to hear from London and there wasn't anything else to do until then anyway. So, he figured he might as well eat. 

"Dinner's ready." he informed the woman as he entered the bedroom.

"Which do you prefer?" she asked to cover up her hesitation in trying anything on, but also to see his reaction as she held up an off-white camisole and a black one.

Why was she asking him this? Derek cleared his throat a little. 

"The white." he said. It was frillier, but ti actually covered more, "but you should know better then to ask me about clothing by now."

She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he really didn't tell his wife she looked good in something "Since when does a wife not want to hear she looks good in something?"

Derek smiled and spoke the complete truth as he knew it. "My wife looks beautiful in anything."

"Good answer." she replied, even as that damned thing pricked in her mind again.

She then sat at the end of the bed and looked at him thoughtfully.

Derek looked at her for moment. "Is something wrong?"

What was she supposed to say, that she had been having attacks of consciousness but wasn't about to be trapped in that god forsaken mirror again?

She had to be free, it was that simple. Or it used to be....

She looked at the bedside table and at the time, seeing that she would soon be completely free no matter what.

Derek watched her closely. Something was definitely on her mind. In fact, she looked as if she felt...guilty. 

He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. 

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?" he asked.

She was just thinking about Julia's reaction to being locked up in the mirror and what the woman had said about her family.

Some family, she thought, even as the memory tugged at her conciousness and she looked at Derek Rayne. The husband hadn't even known she was gone or that there was someone else in her place... even if the someone else was an exact DNA replica.

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it, turning to look at the floor as the struggle within got stronger.

Something was definitely changing in this woman. He could see it. 

"Amelia isn't ill." Derek told her, his voice gentle. "She merely misses her mother and does not understand why she is not here anymore."

The doppleganger's gaze snapped to his and she stood as she backed away from him, voice low "You know..."

Why else would he say something like that, about Amelia's mother not being here anymore... ?

"Yes," Derek said calmly. He stayed where he was, but he was alert. He could stop her from leaving is she tried, there was no question about that.

"How long?" she asked, backing up toward the terrace.

She couldn't go back, she couldn't be trapped in that thing - she couldn't!

"Since we were at house you came from," Derek told her. He kept his non threatening position. "I wouldn't try climbing down from the terrace unless you wish to be electricuted."

She hadn't even had the idea of climbing down the terrace and bumped against the door frame of the terrace. She was just feeling as if she were being put back into the mirror and panic was setting in.

Then she realized what he had said. "How...?"

After all, she was an exact DNA copy of Julia Rayne. How had he known it wasn't really his wife he had driven home with?

Derek gazed at her for a moment. 

"I had a vision," he said finally. "Amelia has the Gift as well. That's what was wrong with her in the kitchen. She's too small to understand what's happening and it frightens her."

That made her stop, both scared of what it meant for her ultimately but also in a kind of awe and jealousy toward the small family too "You're... that close?"

No wonder Julia had been fighting to the point of making herself bleed to try and get out of the mirror... 

"Yes..." Derek replied, "although its a bit more complicated than that. It is not a gift everyone has." He really didn't wish to get into his visions with her. 

"I can't go back." she said, swallowing "I can't be stuck in there again.. He'll trap me in there with him -"

"Who is it you're talking about? If you tell me, I might be able to help you."

"He calls himself the Guardian -" she said, only to growl in frustration "He says he's *teaching* me there -"

That did it. Once she started to talk about it, once she had admitted to Derek that she wasn't his wife... 

"It'll close on her," she said, frustrated and scared "It's already started -"

"She won't be able to get out," she said, the fear and realization making her voice shake "Unless I'm locked back in it..."

Julia stiffened suddenly, looking up and around as her surroundings began to rumble around her.

"What's happening?" she asked, standing and reaching out against a wall to keep her balance.

The older man looked at the mirror "The tie is being severed."

"....this is where the disturbance is coming from -" a voice sounded as if from a distance, from the side

Julia was trapped in but on the other side of the 'door' that lead out into the alternate reality.

"What happens if they get here before Derek does?"

Julia asked, trying not to panic.... too much.

The door rattled, as if someone were trying to open it.

"If they see you," the older man answered "You will remain."

"See what you can do to get it open." another voice on the other side said.

And Julia recognized it, as well as the one before it. Nick and Derek...

"Are they Legacy here too?" she asked.

"They protect the innocent as you do." the man replied.

Julia looked at the mirror, blue eyes showing the near panic she refused to show in her voice.

The rumbling became stronger, the red glow starting to surround the whole room. 

".... we have to go back." Julia's doppleganger said, tone listless.

"Then we'll go," Derek said gently still holding his hand out to her. He felt sorry for this woman, but if the only way to get his wife home was to send her back then that is what they had to to do. With any luck they would be able to figure something out on the way there. He would stop by the control room on the way out and see if anything came in yet and if it had go through it on the way. Maybe something would strike him.

She looked at his hand for a moment longer, then, swallowing hard, she put her hand in his, waiting for him to cuff her or something equally cruel.

Derek squeezed her hand reassuringly and then led out the room down to the second floor. "Contrary to popular belief," he said. "I don't bite."

"I need to pick up something in the control room before we go." He led her into the library and then inside the Control room. Once there he check for the journal he had been awaiting.

"There it is," he said. He then hooked a laptop up to the mainframe and transfered the information.

"All right," he said, taking her hand again, "let's go."

He led her outside to his car carrying the laptop in his other hand. Then he released her hand and pulled out his keys, opening the driver's side door. He held the keys out to her. "Would drive, I'm going to look some things up and see what I can find out about your situation."

That he trusted her to actually drive him there did something to her too as she looked at the keys now in her hand. She closed her fingers over the keys and got in on the driver's side of the SUV, wondering about the emotions that were coming stronger and stronger to her as the minutes passed by. She then put the key into the ignition and started it, before putting the car into gear and heading toward the gate.

She glanced at him as she drove, before asking "You'll... you'll try and help me not to be trapped?"

Maybe she needed to have some trust toward him about now.

"Yes," Derek told he as he initiated a search of the journal and began to read. "I just found something about the Guardian you told me about." He was not very impressed by what he was reading either. He wished he was on the other side of that mirror for a few minutes.

As he continued to read though, he did get some hope. If what he read was true, what the Guardian want had been accomplished...in a round about way. Now all they had to do was get her back there in time. And he had to figure out how to switch them back.

Derek continued his search looking for the key.

"You... you really do love her, don't you?" she asked as she drove on, realizing she had called it wrong about him when she had thought he pretty much ignored Julia or was trying to push her away from the baby. Now that she knew he had known it hadn't been his wife from the moment she came out of the house, she realized he was just protecting the kid.

Derek paused and looked up at her. 

"Yes," he told her. "I do." He never really talked much about his feelings with anyone other than Julia even then it wasn't as much as she probably would have liked, so he it wasn't unusual that he didn't say more.

Julia's doppleganger turned onto the street that lead to the house, murmuring quietly more to herself than to be heard "She's lucky."

They all were, she thought. She had thought she wanted to get out and go a little wild, felt trapped. What she wanted was what Julia had. The woman had a freedom that included people that cared about her.

Ugh, she mentally shook her head, she was getting sappy. Was this what having a conscious meant? She wished there was a way to trim that part of her new found consciousness.

Her thoughts cut short as she spotted the house, her hands tightening around the steering wheel. A small part of her wanted to turn the SUV around.

Derek turned off the laptop as they approached the house. He was feeling a bit more confident now that he had found what he was looking for. 

"I think you're going to be all right." he told her as they pulled into the driveway.

She parked the vehicle and got out after shutting off the engine. 

She wanted to believe what he said was true but... her hand tightened around the car door handle as she was gripped by sudden panic.

Julia heard the sound of a vehicle and went to the mirror, trying to see through the red pulsating light there before hitting against the glass to try and get someone's attention. Gone was the knowledge that no one but the doppleganger or the old man would hear her, she was fighting panic and not doing a good job of it.

Derek came over to the driver's side of the SUV and took the woman's hand. 

"Its going to be all right." he told her. "The Guardian wanted you to be prepared for life. The kinds of things he thinks are so important you've exhibited by telling me everything and coming back here with me. He won't hold you any longer. And once you're out, perhaps you can do something to make certain he does not do this to anyone else. The things he values so highly can only be learned though experience."

He gently released her hand and put his arm about her, leading her towards the house. "You're going to fine. I'm sure of it. Just trust me."

Once inside he hurried her into the large living room and looked into mirror, gaze and tone determined.

"She has learned what you wanted," he said, his voice forceful. "When I send her back, I expect you let her go. She came her willingly and she told me everything of her own volition. You are obligated to release her."

Derek turned and looked at the woman, gently moving her so that she stood directly in front of the mirror. 

"Thank you." he said to her.

Nicholas Boyle pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and worked on unlocking the door.

"So you think this has something to do with your dream?" he asked his boss as he worked, remembering the dream Derek had told his team about that morning.

Door was jammed in good, so he concentrated on getting it open.

"We wouldn't be here otherwise," Derek replied a bit irritably as he watched the younger man work. The dream had been something that had been haunting him in more and more detail for the past week, until this morning, it had been so detailed he had been able to actually smell the woman's underlying perfume - he knew he had to get there or lose something too important for him to understand just yet, and that the woman would lose her life.

Muted rumbling and voices came from behind the door just then.

Julia turned to look at the older man, at the same time hearing the voices outside the alternate universe's door "Let her go with them. She can learn more from them.. and help others."

The older man looked at her thoughtfully "You need to leave before they see you."

Because, she remembered, if the people of this realm saw her, she'd be trapped in their real-i-t - the solution came to her then and she turned to the mirror, to see her Doppleganger.

Then, the glass seeming to move with her, she extended her hands toward her.

"Take my hands." she said, before looking at her husband "Let go."

If this had a chance at working, it had to be just them two. If Derek got pulled in, he'd be lost.

Whoever was working on the door was making progress and the room about her started to shake even more.

The older man held on to the edge of the couch "What are you doing??"

Nicholas hesitated for a moment "Did you hear that?"

Then he went back to work. Someone was in there!

"Yes," Derek told him, "how much longer is it going to be? We may need to find another way in."

"One second," Nicholas said, right before the lock clicked and the knob was released.

Derek let go of the woman and stepped back, the blue eyes so familiar and even echoing his wife's quiet determination, even if he saw the unspoken unease and fear there as well. 

"Good luck," he said her."Remember what I said."

The loud sounds on the other side of the mirror, in the alternate reality, weren't able to be heard he and the doppleganger were, at least not until the mirror itself started to swirl and open as his wife's hands started to peek through them. The wind about them started to pick up and he felt the effects of it whip through his hair and tugging at the edges of his clothes as his hazel gaze locked on to and held onto Julia's hands. He wanted to reach out to her, to grab onto her hands and pull her, but he also knew that to do it too soon would mean losing her. His hands clenched at his sides even as a muscle at the side of his cheek did the same and he was forced to wait and quench the need to take action.

Just then Julia Walker Rayne turned to look behind her, before pulling her twin through the glass and shifting so that it was the Doppleganger the group saw, instead of her. It wasn't something she noticed right away, but a part of her mind did notice that the older man did nothing to stop her and merely watched. She then reached back and extended her hand through the mirror, needing Derek's help to get out as the red glow started to envelope the two women as well as the others in the alternate universe.

"Derek!" she called out to him, even as her Doppleganger spotted the alternate group and the Derek with them.

Julia turned to yell something in her ear that couldn't be heard by the others since the roar of the alternate realities was breaking down and her Doppleganger's gaze locked onto the alternate Derek's before reaching out to him.

Derek grabbed Jullia and pulled her with all his strength through the collapsing portal. He staggered backward slightly when she was suddenly released from it and the weight of her body landed against him. Recovering his balance, he tightened his arms about her holding her tightly for a moment. He kissed the top of her head and then carefully released her. He didn't want to, but there was something he else he had to do.

In the next instant and knowing there wasn't a moment to spare, he removed the gun from under his jacket and using the butt of it, struck the glass of the mirror shattering it violently. Glass rained out toward him and he raised his arm and turned away, the glass falling to the floor about him. There were a few shards in his shirt but nothing more and he lowered his arm and brushed it before turning to return to Julia's side.

On the other side. The other Derek Rayne moved forward in chaos and caught the trembling woman. He carried her outside. 

"Nicholas, get the old man out of there!" he called.

Once he was outside he began to look the woman over to see if she was all right.

She looked at him, wondering if it was too much to hope that she wasn't stuck in the mirror after all. But Julia had said....

She reached out and touched his face, hesitantly, her hand shaking as she whispered "You're real..."

"So are you." he responded just as quietly, until he realized how he must have sounded and appeared to the woman and his teammate if Nicholas had a chance to look their way.

Unfortunately, the other man hadn't seen it and put the electronics down that he had used to unlock the door and went inside, only to cover his face as something exploded. When it was done, he looked inside.

He looked confused as he came back out to report to the others "He's not there anymore."

The room was empty, no sign of the explosion or the old man of just seconds before.

He looked at the woman and then at Derek "Is she the same one?"

"Yes," Derek replied to Nicholas' question and then looked back at . He looked back at the woman and answering her question in a more sensible tone, but the relief at getting to her in time evident in his gaze for her to see.

"Yes, I'm real," he told her. "And you're safe now."

As soon as the glass finished showering down, and ignoring the groan of her body to the motion she put it through, Julia got up and cupped Derek's face before taking his lips with her own and kissing him deeply. Then, with her body's need to breath, she moved to sprinkling his face with kisses, her body shaking with the experience and pain of the past few hours. She wasn't even aware that she was crying as she whispered Derek's name over and again, and then asking about Amelia.

"I want to go home." she added, only then realizing that her cut fingers were leaving small smears of blood on his shirt collar "take me home, okay?"

Derek responded in the same manner, holding her face and taking in her features for himself and nodding to her request.

"Okay," Derek told her before moving to hold her tightly in his arms for a long moment. Then, wanting to get her home and taken care of, as well as reunited with their daughter, he lifted her gently, carrying her out of the house and toward the SUV "Amelia will be fine now that you're back. 

"We all will." he assured her.

It wasn't until hours later that Julia Walker Rayne was able to succumb to a deep sleep that included her husband's arms about her and their daughter sleeping soundly in her arms, even if Derek wasn't able to go to sleep because of another problem that arose in their household that he had to deal with as Precept of the San Francisco House, but she did have enough energy to at least start her Journal entry, which she left to finish later in her bedside table with the following lines written in hindsight and thought:

At first I was angry at the person I now consider more than a doppleganger, more like a kindred spirit and even twin. I had learned what she had had to go through and in a split second's time saw myself in her place. After all, didn't I come to be with Derek and my new life through a supernatural occurance? It wasn't heaven that she came from but it was a new life she was sent to in that moment of making sure the team saw her in the alternate universe. And as much as the Guardian may have worked in a way that was against our own set ways of right and wrong, he may have been doing his duty - maybe even simular to the way Angels had to do their Work, around human and like kind.

And I don't know why but I know that she is going to find the same kind of life I have here. At least I hope she does. There isn't anywhere else I would want to be than right here with my family. I hope she finds her own where she's at.....

Next Episode: Infected!


End file.
